“In our research, having a close friend that’s gay or lesbian can have a profound impact on support," Cox explained. “We see this across Democrats, Republicans, and Evangelicals. It really cuts across a lot of demographics and, in a lot of ways, is more powerful than ideology."
"The same isn’t true for
women who have abortions. Most Americans know someone who is gay or lesbian,
but they often don’t have the same personal connections with women’s own
abortion stories. That’s not because women who have abortions are rare — in
fact, one in three U.S. women has had an abortion by
the time she is 45 years old — but rather because of a lingering stigma surrounding this aspect of
women’s reproductive care. That societal stigma ultimately dissuades women from
being open about their experiences with abortion by reinforcing messages about
how the procedure is morally depraved, something to be ashamed of, and
something women always regret.
That’s why women’s health
advocates encourage a “coming out” model for the women who have
chosen to terminate a pregnancy, similar to the process within the LGBT
community. If politicians like Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) can “evolve” on
pro-equality policies because they have personal connections with gay and lesbian
individuals, perhaps they will also consider supporting a wider range of
pro-woman policies if they hear more from women in their lives who have
chosen an abortion. But that isn’t likely to happen soon, particularly if women
still don’t feel safe to share their stories without shame and
stigmatization.”
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/02/1809121/why-us-politicians-arent-evolving-on-abortion-rights/
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